


Angel.

by heyitsnxel



Series: 30 Trope Prompts. [14]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, First Kiss, First Meetings, M/M, No Smut, Stripper Dan, sorry lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 13:28:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14935148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyitsnxel/pseuds/heyitsnxel
Summary: ‘Angel’ was what he was called and Phil could definitely see why.





	Angel.

**Author's Note:**

> day 14: stripper au.

If anyone had told Dan that he would be a stripper one day, he would have told them to fuck right off. The thought of him half naked on a stage in front of a room full of people was absurd. He would never, ever do that. Nope. Not in a million years.

 

Unless that ‘million years’ came in the form of the stacks of cash he took home from work everynight. Then, yeah, maybe Dan would be a stripper.

 

Working for Rose – definitely not her real name, but was anyone’s name here real? – came out of the blue. She had been pouring shots behind the bar of a pub that Dan and his mates frequented and by the end of the night, he’d left with her number in his phone and a smear of red lipstick on his collar.

 

What he had expected to be a booty call turned out to be a business offer – sort of. Rose wasn’t exactly who she claimed to be.

 

‘Just your average girl stuck bartending at a shitty pub’ turned out to be so much more. She was an entrepreneur, a businesswoman, a self-proclaimed expert in the field of sex. She had visions and ideas, some of which were already happening, some of which weren’t. But her current project had been a strip club.

 

“Sex sells, love. And, you? Well, you’re sexy.”

 

Dan was too sober to handle a compliment so blunt. He could feel his cheeks flooding with red that matched her lipstick. Looking back, it wasn’t exactly professional how she convinced him to agree. Or maybe that was considered professional in this world of business. Dan wasn’t sure.

The only thing he was sure of was that he’d woken up to an empty bed and a contract he’d hastily scribbled his name across of the night before.

 

 

Three years later and Dan was a popular dancer at Rose’s Palace. Adapting the stage name ‘Angel’ – which, he might add, was definitely was _not_ his choice – Dan took to the stage quite naturally. Rose had to ease him into it at first, brushing glitter across his cheekbones and adding a heavy coat of black liner to his lids.

 

“Innocent, but not too innocent. Just like you, Angel.”

 

With that she’d shoved Dan, quite literally, into the spotlight.

 

Maybe it wasn’t so much easing Dan into it as it was throwing him in the deep end. But, it worked out in the end. His confidence grew over the years as did the demand for his presence. He went from an audience that barely filled up one table to one that filled up the whole room.

 

And, honestly? He loved it.

 

He loved to feel people’s eyes roaming his body as Rose played whatever weird song she had chosen for him that night. He loved when people booked him privately, leading them by the hand to the back room, while they lavished him in quiet compliments that they’d surely forget by the morning – but, he wouldn’t. He remembered all the drunken words that were slurred to him every night, the good and the bad; the dirty and the innocent. Dan remembered them all.

 

Rose didn’t have many rules at the Palace.

 

_Keep your names private and your limits clear. Consent is key, even in a business like this.’_

 

Obviously, this wasn’t a brothel. People didn’t come here for sex, they came her for _sexual entertainment._ There was a difference. Never once had a stripper working for Rose had sex under the roof of the palace (for money). Rose also wasn’t a huge keen on touching. Like most strip clubs, it wasn’t particularly allowed on the main stage. But, in the private rooms? That was up to the performer’s discretion. She trusted them to make the ‘right choices’ and keep things in their comfort zone at all times.

 

Dan could honestly say he’d never fucked anyone in the Palace, other than Rose herself one drunken night 2 years ago. Private parties could touch within reason, but his limits were clearly stated before anything even began. Never once had he taken someone home like many of his coworkers had. He’d always mentally commended himself on his responsibility. There was never a single night where he had wavered on what his do’s and don’ts were.

 

So, it came as a surprise when Dan was so willing to throw all three years of his responsibility out the window the moment Phil Lester walked through the front doors.

 

* * *

 

Phil wasn’t the biggest fan of strip clubs, if he were being honest. From what he knew about them, they weren’t the best places to be employed. He’d heard stories of strippers being abused by the owners of the clubs, whored out to people on the streets against their will. He’d seen documentaries about performers being killed while working.

 

It all sounded like it must be terrible. He couldn’t understand why people wanted to go there and watch a group of poorly treated workers be subjected to being catcalled by sleazy men all night. His friend PJ had laughed at him when he voiced this opinion, shaking his head in a way that made Phil feel like a complete idiot.

 

“They’re not all like that, Phil. Some people really like stripping for a living.”

 

“Name me one person you’ve seen that doesn’t look like they want to die every time they’re on a stage.”

 

“I’ll do you one better.” PJ had raised his eyebrow in a way that made Phil anxious. “I’ll _show_ you.”

 

 

That was exactly how Phil found himself staring up at neon sign, flickering with the name ‘Rose’s Palace.’ PJ already had his hand wrapped around the door handle before Phil had even finished reading the name, greeted _by name_ by the man at the door.

 

“God, Peej. How often do you come here?”

“Don’t judge me.”

 

Phil was judging him – kind of – until the lights flickered down. PJ’s hand had wrapped around his wrist and tugged him to a table on the side. A sense of nervous excitement rushed through Phil as the music started. He was almost annoyed that he was allowing himself to enjoy this until he saw the man on stage.

 

Any semblance of self-annoyance went out the window and was immediately replaced with awe.

 

_‘Angel ’_ he was called and Phil could see why. He was beautiful in an ethereal sense that only something from the heavens would possess. His dark curls fell in soft waves across his forehead, falling down into face and nearly covering his eyes. The light caught his angles perfectly; The glitter across his eyelids, his cheeks, his chest glistening with every sweep of the stage light.

The smirk on his glossed lips and the lust brewing behind his gaze were a complete contradiction the white ensemble he was letting slowly slip to the floor.

 

_Innocent, but not too innocent._

 

Angel caught his eye from the stage and Phil had to practically force his jaw to close. The brunette shot him a wink, letting their gaze hold as he let the last piece of fabric fall to the stage floor. Phil knew he was hooked.

 

* * *

 

 

PJ had drifted to the bar, the rim of his glass hovering near his lips and his eyes glued to the stage. Angel had long since gone behind the curtain, leaving with a cheeky wink and a smile that looked far too innocent for what he was doing.

 

This left Phil alone in a booth near the back. His head leaned back against the velvet plush of the backboard, eyes closed and mind drifting back to a certain performer he couldn’t get out of his head. Phil was cursing himself internally. Angel had looked at home on the stage. It looked like he truly belonged there and that he loved what he was doing. But, for some reason, Phil couldn’t stop his mind from replaying the documentaries scenes over and over, from repeating the horror stories that he’d heard about places like this. This Angel may look happy, but were they really in hell?

 

There was no way he could ever really know. It’s not like he could just walk up to him and ask him ‘Hey, are you happy?’ because that would be weird and he’d likely lie even if he wasn’t. The booth dipped next to him and Phil sighed.

 

“Ready to go, Peej?”

 

“Awe.” A voice that very much did not belong to PJ spoke. “Leaving so soon?”

 

Phil’s eyes opened faster than he thought possible and when he turned his head, he was drowning in a sea of brown. Angel had his head propped on his head, looking up at Phil through his impossibly thick eyelashes. A soft smile had fallen over his lips as he let his eyes slowly drift down Phil’s body.

 

“Oh, um – Hi?”

 

Angel laughed, and as Phil expected, it was almost angelic. The noise was light and airy, contradicting the harsh neon lights and dark colors of the club.

 

“Hi there. You seemed sad. Are you sad?”

 

Phil blinked once, twice, three times. His mouth opening and closing a few times without anything coming out. The irony of Angel asking _him_ that question was almost funny. Eventually, he settled for a nod.

 

“Just thinking.”

 

Angel tipped his head, curls falling into his eyes. “About what?”

 

* * *

 

Dan had noticed him the moment he walked in. The apprehensive look on his face was so common among newbies and Dan had always found it cute. They were always so easily flustered, embarrassed. It was fun to flirt with them.

 

Especially when they looked like _that._

 

Dan was practically drooling the lip gloss off his lips from behind the stage curtain. Rose bumped him with her hip.

 

“Cute one?”

 

He nodded, pulling the curtain back enough so she could look out. Her head bobbed approvingly, turning to Dan with a look that said everything it needed to say without words.

 

_‘Go get em.’_

 

It had become second nature for Dan to notice what people responded too. From his words to actions, the slightest move of his hips or color painted across his eyelids. People were easy to read. So, when this new guy – whatever his name was – was responding to _everything_ Dan was doing? Dan was intrigued.

 

He could barely lift a hand without the man’s face heating up, his gaze leaving the stage for only a second just to return immediately after. Dan could feel his eyes burning a hole through his body the whole time he was under the lights. So, naturally, he winked at him. He let the fabric draping over him fall to the floor without breaking the eye contact. He dipped his eyes down towards the man’s lap, biting his lip when he looked back up.

 

And just because he was a tease, he didn’t look at him again until the curtain was falling closed behind him.

 

Once the curtain was shut though? Dan had practically bolted to the opposite side of the room, looking out from the small window in the door until he found him. He was getting up and Dan prayed he wasn’t leaving.

 

He wasn’t.

 

His friend had just gone to the bar while he had moved to a booth. He watched as his head tipped back, dark hair falling to the side as he did so.

 

“He was watching you.”

 

Dan nearly jumped out of what little clothes he was wearing due to Rose’s sudden appearance, huffing out an annoyed laugh.

 

“Everyone was.”

 

“No, he was really _watching_ you.”

 

Dan let his gaze fall back out the pane of glass and stared. Rose was right, as always, the man had been watching him. But, he was taking his clothes off on stage. What did she expect to happen? For him to close his eyes and run out? Yeah, right. He turned to ask her what she meant, but she was already gone – disappearing into the darkness behind the main stage.

 

Tonight was lucky. Dan was really counting his blessings he didn’t have a private booking tonight. It wasn’t unusual for the performers to leave the stage, meander around the Palace to mingle with the crowd. It was how they got their private bookings, it was how people became their regulars. Tonight, Dan was taking it upon himself to make sure that man did one of the two things before walked out the door.

 

A t-shirt dress wasn’t common attire for most strippers. But Dan wasn’t most strippers. The white fabric was thin and hung completely off his left shoulder, the hem barely hitting mid-thigh. The ends of the sleeves had been embroidered with a border of black lace, keeping the _‘innocent but not too innocent’_ branding fairly strong. Rose had insisted on the knee high socks, also embroidered with the same lace, and matching garter than stopped just below the dress. Paired with a pair of obnoxiously chunky black heels, that constantly reminded Dan of Britney Spears ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ music video, and he was ready to go.

 

He bee-lined straight for the man’s booth, ignoring any other call of his stage name, before sitting down right next to him. The man had been flustered the moment his eyes opened to see Dan right next to him. His face had heated up to a pretty shade of pink that matched Dan’s lip gloss and he subconsciously was biting his lip.

 

_Cute._

 

“Hi there. You seemed sad. Are you sad?”

 

He had hesitated when Dan asked. The gears turning in the man’s head as he thought out an answer were clear as day. He had settled on a fairly common ‘just thinking’ which didn’t surprise Dan in the slightest.

 

“About what?”

 

He had paused again, the gears of his mind back at work, leaving Dan to tip his head into his hands and wait. He liked looking at this man. He liked watching the way his eyebrow furrowed as he thought, how the blues of his eyes darkened a bit as the thoughts progressed. He liked to watch his teeth chew on his bottom lip, obviously trying to hide he was nervous but totally failing. His quiff had become tousled slightly, giving him the semblance of unintentional sex hair. Dan was into it.

 

“Are you happy here?”

 

The words were blurted out so abruptly that it caught Dan off guard. Was he happy here? That’s what he was thinking about? It made Dan’s heart beat a little quicker, his face grow the tiniest bit pinker under the blush spread across his cheeks. The man had turned his head to his lap, clearly forcing his gaze to stay there. There was no doubt in Dan’s mind this was a genuine question. It wasn’t part of some weird foreplay, it wasn’t intended to lead to dirty talk. Whoever this guy was seriously wanted to know.

 

Dan laughed softly, placing his index finger under the man’s chin and turning his head so they were looking at each other.

 

“Yes, I am very happy here. Even more so now that you’re here.”

 

* * *

 

 

An eruption of goosebumps spread across Phil’s skin the moment Angel’s finger had hooked under his chin and turned him. He was face to face with the deepest pair of brown eyes he had ever seen. They reminded him of chocolate and coffee. The flecks of amber throughout made him think of gingerbread, the contrast of the spice and the sugar. Just like Angel, they both made his mouth water.

 

His breath caught in his throat and he forced his head to nod. It seemed to take all his willpower to make that one simple movement.

 

“Good.” _How eloquent, Phil_.

 

Angel seemed unbothered by his lack of grace. If anything, he seemed to like it which made Phil relax the smallest fraction.

 

“Thank you for asking.” Angel started. His fingers had dropped from Phil’s chin to trace against the fabric of the shirt against Phil’s chest. “No one usually does.”

 

Yet again, Angel seemed unbothered by this. There was hint of a casual smile on his lips, his gaze unwaveringly attached to Phil’s. Phil forced himself to swallow, doing the only thing he knew how to do at the moment, which was nod – again.

 

“They should.”

 

Angel’s eyes had widened, making them look impossibly more beautiful than Phil had already thought. It seemed so natural for his fingers to fall to Phil’s hand, delicately running over the palm of his hand. It felt _right_.

 

“I don’t normally ask this…” He started, running his fingers across Phil’s forearm, his fingernails lightly tracing up and down the skin. “… But, I _really_ don’t want you to leave.”

 

Phil gulped as he fluttered his eyelashes. He watched Angel’s teeth catch his bottom lip, smearing the lip gloss a bit, before he released it with a sigh.

 

“Do you want to go somewhere more private?”

 

* * *

 

Dan had been pleasantly surprised when the man nodded again. He had worried for a second that he was going to say no due to nerves alone. But, when he didn’t and even followed his agreement with ‘My name’s Phil, by the way. Am I supposed to tell you that? I don’t know what I’m doing,’ Dan had laughed. Not in the cute ‘I want tips’ way but in a genuine ‘you’re so cute’ kind of way.

 

Which he had immediately told Phil afterwards.

 

“Well, you’re beautiful.”

 

Jesus Christ. Dan was melting into the floor.

 

The curtain fell shut behind them and Dan gave a gentle shove to Phil’s chest, letting him fall into the couch with a quiet exhale.

 

“I wasn’t kidding when I said I don’t know what I’m doing.”

 

“That’s okay,” Dan smiled, shaking his head. “I do.”

 

* * *

 

Angel definitely knew what he was doing. Phil was nearly about to die.

 

It shouldn’t have come as a shock that his Angel was far from innocent. He was such a _tease._ He knew just how long to let his touches linger, just when to flutter his eyelashes and giggle – sending a blush across Phil’s face and a burning desire in the pit of his stomach. He _wanted_ him and Angel knew it.

 

He was straddling Phil’s lap now, the sides of his legs pressed into Phil’s thighs and his hands flush against his chest. He popped the first two buttons of Phil’s shirt open in an agonizingly slow way, making Phil’s face scrunch up in frustration. 

 

“Shh.” His finger pushed against Phil’s parted lips, stopping the annoyed groan from leaving his mouth. “Relax. You’re so impatient.”

 

With another gentle shove, Phil was pressed into the couch again. Angel hovered over him, biting his lip. For the first time, there was a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

 

“Can I kiss you?”

 

“Can you tell me your real name?”

 

It was a risk and Phil had honestly just blurted it out without thinking. He saw the apprehension flash through Angel’s eyes and he quickly opened his mouth to say nevermind, but he was cut off by the quietest ‘Dan’ he had ever heard in his life.

 

“But, that’s a secret. Now can I kiss you?”

 

Phil let his eyes fall shut, expecting the kiss to land on his lips. A quiet gasp escaped him when it was placed just above his shirt collar, lips trailing up his neck to finally reach his lips. The kiss was soft, gentle. Everything Phil had imagined it to be. The lip gloss stuck to his lips, leaving the taste of cherry in its wake and when Dan pulled back, Phil pulled him back in.

 

The kiss was deep, the kind that was shared between lovers not total strangers. It made Phil sink deeper into the couch, his hands resting on the front of Dan’s thighs, fingers slipping under the garter that was pressed into his skin. He felt the other’s lip curve into a smile during the kiss and he couldn’t help but return the gesture.

 

When the two finally pulled away, they were both breathless.

 

“Do you want to get out of here?” Dan asked, his eyebrow raising and arms looped around Phil’s neck. Naturally, the question caught Phil so off guard that he choked on his own spit and fell into a coughing fit.

 

“Like for sex?” He finally managed to sputter out, burying his face in the crook of Dan’s shoulder. His whole body was shaking with silent laughter, clearly resisting the urge to lose it while he was sitting in Phil’s lap.

 

“Yes, Phil. Like for _sex_.”

 

* * *

 

 

In one of the most ironic turns of events to ever occur in Dan’s life, they didn’t end up having sex.

 

Phil took one step in Dan’s flat before seeing the Ps4 and like the nerds they both were deep down, all sexual tension was pushed to the side in favor of video games. Phil did, however, spend the night. He dozed off against Dan’s shoulder as they both slumped over on the couch. Dan didn’t have the heart to move him. Maybe, if he was being honest with himself, he was enjoying the fact he could cuddle Phil and blame it on sleep in the morning if things were awkward.

 

Dan almost wanted to laugh as he looked down at Phil sleeping in his arms. He’d broken nearly all of his rules in one night, for one guy. If they’d had sex, then he would have broken all of them. There was part of his brain that was reprimanding himself for being so careless. The other part was saying _fuck it._

For tonight, consequences be damned.

**Author's Note:**

> this for sure would have been smut if I wasn't sick, lol.


End file.
